Ohio jobless rate for July same as in June: 7.2%

State says 37,700 jobs added over past year

8/17/2013

BY TYREL LINKHORNBLADE STAFF WRITER

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s unemployment rate was 7.2 percent in July, the same as it was in June, state officials said Friday.

State officials have made a point of the fact that Ohio’s unemployment rate has been consistently lower than the U.S. rate, but that gap has been shrinking. U.S. unemployment dropped to 7.4 percent in July from 7.6 percent in June, and is down from 7.9 percent in January.

Ohio opened the year at 7 percent in January. The rate ticked up to 7.1 percent in February but again dropped to 7 percent before increasing to 7.2 percent in June.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said employment grew by 5,300 in July over the adjusted job figures from June, though there was an increase of 3,000 unemployed workers.

Officials said the state lost construction jobs in July but gained manufacturing jobs.

July’s rate of 7.2 percent is the same as it was in July, 2012. However, state officials said Ohio employers have added 37,700 jobs over the last 12 months. The biggest gains were in educational and health services, which added 20,800 jobs. Manufacturers added 8,200 jobs over the past 12 months, the state said.

The biggest job decrease was in local government, which lost 8,700 jobs over the last year.